Skyrim shares similarities with multiple franchises one of which is the Lord of the Rings. Even at a cursory glance, players find subtle influences that J.R.R Tolkien's works have had on the world of Skyrim Special Edition. For example, the hold of Whiterun and its main city is inspired by Rohan, Markarth bears resemblance to Minas Tirith, and Blackreach reminds players of the Mines of Moria.
However, for many players, it may not be enough and they'll want to bring more of Middle-earth into Skyrim. Thanks to some excellent mods, players will be able to transform their copy of Skyrim into a Lord of the Rings game.
Updated on April 20th, 2022 by Talha Bin Rizwan: It is no secret that Skyrim and Lord of the Rings share many similarities. Fans of both franchises will find hidden references and the like J.R.R Tolkien's works in the frigid lands of Skyrim. For players wishing to experience more of Lord of the Rings in Skyrim, the solution may be found in some excellent mods available online. These mods various pieces of content from the Lord of the Rings trilogy to the game. Using these mods players can go as far as to transform their copy of Skyrim into a Lord of the Rings game.
15 EisVogel V2 ENB And Parallax 2020 Textures
Middle-earth from Lord of the Rings boasts some incredible scenery and breathtaking visuals. While Skyrim has its own offering of stunning visuals, they don't quite fit the Lord of the Rings theme. Players will need the eisVogel v2 ENB by Sevenence mod which aims to change Skyrim's colors, tone, and depth of field to match a vibrant, high fantasy game.
Players will need to pair that with Parallax 2020 mod by Pfuscher that replaces a plethora of Skyrim's textures with higher resolution variants. Both mods are resource-intensive and require players to ensure they have the specs to run them on their PCs.
14 Grass Field SE And Enhanced Vanilla Trees
Skyrim is a cold, frigid land where lush green scenery is scarce. While players may find dense forests in Falkreath and Riften, they are not adequate for a Lord of the Rings-style playthrough. With the help of the Grass Field SE by Tamu75 mod, players will be able to transform Skyrim's vanilla grass into a dense blanket of cheerful green grass. They'll then need to install the Realistic Grass Field by ArtyByMari which retextures the grass installed by the previous mod with realistic, high-resolution textures.
Players will need to join these mods with Enhanced Vanilla Trees by SomeRandomGuy83. This overhauls the game's vanilla trees, replacing their meshes and textures with higher-quality versions. Players will need to install the "Custom Large Trees" optional file which increases the tree size and adds more branches and leaves that fit Middle-earth better.
13 Noldor Content Pack By Maty743
The Noldor Content Pack by Maty743 mod adds four armor sets and three weapons sets with two different tiers from Lord of the Rings into Skyrim. The armor and weapons have been crafted to resemble the ones worn by the Elven warriors during the War of the Last Alliance, the opening battle scene in The Fellowship of the Ring.
Players will need the Elven Smithing Perk to craft these weapons and armors at a forge. The mod works especially well for elves but human and beast race characters can make good use of the mod as well.
12 Gondorian Ranger Armor And MERP's Gondorian Armament
The Gondorian Ranger Armor by haldir307 adds an armor set made to resemble the outfit of Gondor's Ithilien Rangers. The mod comes with a cloak that works well with the armor set to create the full ranger look. The armor can be crafted at any forge and is available for both male and female characters.
For builds that use heavy armors, players can download and install the MERP's Gondorian Armament by BGSMERP which adds multiple sets of armor, shields, and weapons used by Gondorian soldiers across the Lord of the Rings movies. Players will be able to forge them as soon as they acquire the "Steel Smithing" perk and will find the items under the "Imperial" section.
11 The Lord Of The Rings The One Ring Redux By Kyloz
The Lord of the Rings The One Ring Redux by kyloz adds the legendary Ring made by the Dark Lord Sauron into the world of Skyrim. The One Ring was forged during the Second Age of Middle-earth in order for Sauron to gain dominion over the peoples of Middle-earth.
In Skyrim, players will become invisible and get a 500% increase in their sneak skill, making them nearly undetectable. However, they will lose their Health, Stamina and Magicka the longer they have the ring on. They can find the ring in High Hrothgar located on a desk.
10 Isilmeriel LOTR Weapons Collection SSE By Isilmeriel
Skyrim has an excellent offering of weapons that players can use on their quests. Some may be mundane, while others may be legendary weapons only wielded by those who are truly worthy. However, for a Lord of the Rings playthrough, these weapons seem inadequate.
The mod Isilmeriel LOTR Weapons Collection SSE by Isilmeriel aims to rectify that problem by introducing the weapons wielded by the heroes of Middle-earth in the Lord of the Rings movies. Players will be able to craft these weapons at the "Moonforge" found on the path to High Hrothgar and can improve them at any grindstone found in the world.
9 Pipe Smoking SE By MadNuttah And Virakotxa
In Lord of the Rings, several characters smoke pipes as a means of recreation. There are several key scenes in both the movies and the books where the characters are smoking pipes as they talk. Pipe Smoking SE by MadNuttah and Virakotxa adds a feature where players can smoke a pipe for a few moments.
The mod adds a craftable Lord of the Rings-style "Longpipe" which players can use to play a 30-second long smoking animation. The Longpipe requires firewood to craft it and can be made at any forge or anvil. Once crafted, players will then need to get the herb Elves Ear which is burnt in smoking. Once done, players simply activate the Longpipe to fill it and then activate it again to start smoking.
8 Enemies Mods
Skyrim has a wide selection of enemies that players can fight. From lowly bandits to legendary dragons, the Dragonborn will have no shortage of adversaries to face off against to test their mettle. However, many of these can be inadequate for a Lord of the Rings playthrough.
Mod author bmw0103 provides a solution with the mod The Rise of Orthanc and the Two Towers that the merciless Uruk-Hai warriors from Lord of the Rings into Skyrim. The mod places a few Uruk-Hai camps in the game's world and replaces the entire bandit faction with Uruk-hair warriors. Players will need to pair this with a few creatures from the author mihailmods, mainly the Goblins and Ogres, that add even more Lord of the Rings-style adversaries to the game.
7 The Elder Scrolls V MIDDLE-EARTH Redone SSE By Maldaran
The Elder Scrolls V MIDDLE-EARTH Redone SSE by Maldaran is an enormous mod that brings several of the key locations from the Lord of the Rings series into Skyrim's worldspace. Players can visit several locations including the Mines of Moria, Mirkwood, The Shire, Rohan, and The Misty Mountains, just to name a few.
The newly added locations are kept separate from Skyrim's vanilla locations, meaning players won't accidentally end up in Middle-Earth on their way during an important quest. The easiest way to access these locations is to purchase the two added spells from Farengar in Whiterun that allow players to teleport to Middle-Earth.
6 Luthwen-The Elf Follower From Middle-earth By Schwiftberg
All adventures are better experienced alongside a trusty companion. Whether it be the vanilla experience or Skyrim converted into a Lord of the Rings game, it is nice to have someone by your side during adventures. Mod author Shwiftberg presents a solution with the mod Luthwen - The Elf Follower From Middle-earth.
In terms of lore, Luthwen is the granddaughter of Findis, the daughter of Noldor's High-King Finwe, and his second wife Indis. Players can find Luthwen at the Drunken Huntsman and only need to talk to her to recruit her. She is a mage character, however, an optional archer version is available in the mod's optional files.